Written Answers Thursday 6 December 2007

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that routine cleaning procedures are carried out in all ambulances.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Ambulance Service operates a national infection control policy, with clear processes for the cleaning of vehicles. These processes allow for appropriate cleaning of ambulances after each response and a full "deep clean" on a regular basis.

Ambulance Service

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider setting up an independent review of the operation of the air ambulance service in the highlands and islands.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Ambulance Service and its constituent operating divisions, which includes the air ambulance service, are the subject of continuous performance management by the Scottish Government. At present I see no need to commission an independent review, but we will continue to monitor the performance of the air ambulance service carefully.

Apprenticeships

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary to question S3F-284 by Alex Salmond on 22 November 2007 ( Official Report c. 3702) and statements by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning on 21 November 2007 on the number of modern apprenticeships (MAs) and training places in Scotland moving towards 50,000 over the next three years ( Official Report c. 3591 and 3612), what qualifications will be achievable by those undertaking training schemes.

Fiona Hyslop: The qualification achievable is dependent upon the training course undertaken.

  Skillseekers work towards a qualification at SVQ level 2. In Skills for Scotland: A Lifelong Learning Strategy, we outlined how Skillseekers will be phased out and replaced by the introduction of MAs at SVQ level 2.

  MAs currently work towards a qualification at SVQ 3, along with any other additional and relevant qualifications identified within the industry framework. MAs at SVQ level 3 will continue and a framework at level 2 will not be approved by the modern apprenticeship group unless it has been demonstrated to be necessary and appropriate.

  Other training programmes such as Get Ready for Work and Training for Work are tailored towards the client’s needs and these may or may not include working towards a qualification.

Apprenticeships

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will increase the number of modern apprenticeships from 35,000 to 50,000.

Fiona Hyslop: Skills for Scotland: a Lifelong Learning Strategy sets out our ambitions for skills throughout life within the context of our new economic approach.

  We will not limit our approach to solely increasing apprenticeships, but rather we will increase the opportunities of appropriate training towards 50,000 over the next three years. This approach recognises that Scotland is already well ahead of other parts of the UK in terms of participation in our apprenticeship programme and is consistent with both our skills and economic strategies.

Central Heating

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time was for applicants to be supplied with gas central heating under the central heating programme from (a) January to March 2007 and (b) September to November 2007, excluding those who did not qualify for the programme.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked James Hynd, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  The managing agent has indicated that, between January and March 2007 the average waiting time was four to five months and between September and November 2007 the average waiting time was five to six months.

Children with Disabilities

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that organisations representing the interests of parents of children with additional support needs, such as the National Deaf Children's Society, are kept informed of any changes to the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 as a result of the recent Court of Session ruling on placing requests across local authority areas.

Adam Ingram: Any review of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 would include an extensive stakeholder consultation exercise, which would encompass organisations representing the interest of parents of children with additional support needs.

Climate Change

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what amendments to planning legislation it is considering to tackle climate change.

Stewart Stevenson: The role of the planning system in tackling climate change is already addressed in several Scottish Planning Policies including those on flooding, renewable energy and housing. It will also be addressed in the second National Planning Framework. The Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006 requires that work on the second National Planning Framework and local authority development plans be undertaken with the objective of contributing to sustainable development. The Scottish Government is also considering amendments to The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 to allow more microrenewable equipment to be installed on existing residential buildings without the need to apply for planning permission. We intend to consult in the new year.

Culture

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why the planned culture budget for 2007-08 shown on page 145 of Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 is £232.8 million, whereas the original culture budget shown on page 12 of the autumn budget revision document is £219.6 million.

Linda Fabiani: The two documents are not directly comparable as the Spending Review document contains the full resource budget for non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and includes their depreciation and cost of capital charges. The autumn budget revision document includes only the cash Grant in Aid paid to NDPBs. The figures of £232.8 million and £219.6 million are reconciled as follows:

  Culture and Gaelic Budget in ABR document, £219.6 million.

  Add NDPB depreciation and cost of capital, £14.4 million.

  Total, £234.0 million.

  Less one-off addition for Historic Scotland (£0.3 million).

  Less Gaelic funding from Education (£0.9 million).

  Culture and Gaelic Budget in SR07 document £232.8 million.

Culture

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage the planned culture budget for (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09 is of the total Scottish budget departmental expenditure limit in each year.

Linda Fabiani: The planned culture and Gaelic budget in 2007-08 is 0.7% of the total Scottish budget departmental expenditure limit. In 2008-09 it is also 0.7%.

Culture

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why the budget for culture for 2007-08, including Historic Scotland, is stated on page 145 of Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 as being £232.8 million while the budget for culture outlined on pages 80 and 82 of the same document amounts to £229.4 million.

Linda Fabiani: The budget for culture of £232.8 million on page 145 includes the budget of £4.3 million for major events and themed years. This is shown on page 79 under Europe and External Affairs. The figure of £181.7 million on page 80 also includes additional budget of £0.9 million on Gaelic that was previously included in the education budget.

Defence

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5873 by Bruce Crawford on 7 November 2007, whether any responses to the First Minister’s letter have been received and, if so, from which states.

Bruce Crawford: We have received responses from the following states:

  Austria

  Cameroon

  Germany

  Grenada

  Guyana

  Indonesia

  Ireland

  Lesotho

  Mexico

  Norway

  Philippines

  Romania

  Senegal

  Sweden

  United Arab Emirates

  The Vatican

  Venezuela.

Dentistry

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reintroduce school-based dental services in the most deprived areas.

Shona Robison: I launched the school based preventive dental service at Methilhill Primary School in Fife on Monday 3 December 2007.

Digital Inclusion

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the aims of Digital Inclusion In Partnership are implemented.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government will encourage local authorities to take the lead on digital inclusion and share good practice, skills and knowledge. By avoiding duplication of effort, resources can be focused more effectively on the needs of disadvantaged groups and achieve solutions that are sustainable, all of which are aims of the 2006 strategy.

Digital Inclusion

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is monitoring progress on implementing the aims of Digital Inclusion In Partnership.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government is monitoring progress of the deliverables and timescales outlined, against the strategy’s action plan.

Discrimination

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that there is no discrimination against people because of their age in recruitment and appointments within the public service.

Nicola Sturgeon: Discrimination on the grounds of age is now unlawful in employment and vocational training. It is the responsibility of all employers, both public and private sector, to ensure that they comply with the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006.

  The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the diversity of staff within the devolved public service, and recognising what everyone has to offer. All Scottish public bodies are required to operate equal opportunities policies. The Scottish Government civil service has gone beyond the requirements of the legislation and opted for a "no retirement age" policy, confirming its commitment to extending working life and empowering people to make their own choices on working, as well as to equality and diversity.

  As part of the implementation of All Our Futures: Planning for a Scotland with an Ageing Population, the Scottish Government is commissioning a campaign to combat ageism and promote more positive images of older people.

Economy

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it has planned that are designed to counter the finding on page 14 of The Government Economic Strategy that "despite rising skill levels over the past twenty years, there has not been an accompanying rise in the level of influence which employees report they can exercise over their jobs".

John Swinney: Both the Government Economic Strategy (GES) and Skills for Scotland: A Lifelong Learning Strategy identify the need to address this issue as part of translating Scotland’s relatively high skill levels into higher productivity and growth. Both strategies proposes a focus on working with employers and employees to increase the effective utilisation and demand for skills.

Education

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its priorities are for education.

Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government’s priorities for education are to work with our partners to give Scotland’s children the best start in life; improve life chances for children, young people and families at risk; support young people to become successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens and enable people in Scotland to be better educated, more skilled and more successful in a nation renowned for its research and innovation. In doing so our aim is to create a more successful country with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish through increasing sustainable economic growth.

Education

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has to support the position that many pupils from small schools may find the move to secondary schools more difficult than those from larger schools.

Maureen Watt: Education authorities and individual schools are best placed to decide how best to manage transition from primary to secondary education and to meet the particular needs of individual pupils.

Education

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether reductions in spending planned for the educational maintenance allowance will be made equally throughout Scotland and, if not, how the reductions will be apportioned.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that the planned reductions in spending on the educational maintenance allowance will increase or decrease staying-on rates in schools.

Fiona Hyslop: The reduction in spending planned for education maintenance allowances (EMA) reflects the actual demand for the scheme. The EMA is an entitlement-based scheme and as there has been no changes to the eligibility criteria all eligible applicants will continue to receive the EMA.

Education

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils benefited from the educational maintenance allowance in (a) Highland, (b) Moray, (c) Argyll and Bute, (d) Orkney, (e) Shetland and (f) Western Isles in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07.

Fiona Hyslop: The number of pupils who benefited from the Education maintenance allowances in each of these local authority areas in 2005-06 are as follows:

  

 Local Authority
 Number of EMA Recipients*


 Argyle and Bute
 285


 Highland
 895


 Moray
 285


 Orkney
 70


 Shetland
 80


 Western Isles
 110


 Total
 1,725



  Note: *Students attended for the entire academic year.

  The numbers for 2006-07 are not yet available.

Education

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimate is of the number of pupils eligible to receive support in (a) Highland, (b) Moray, (c) Argyll and Bute, (d) Orkney, (e) Shetland and (f) Western Isles as a result of planned reductions in spending on the educational maintenance allowance.

Fiona Hyslop: The reduction in spending planned for education maintenance allowances (EMA) reflects the actual demand for the scheme. The EMA is an entitlement-based scheme and, given there have been no changes to the eligibility criteria, all eligible applicants in (a) Highland, (b) Moray, (c) Argyll and Bute, (d) Orkney, (e) Shetland and (f) Western Isles will continue to receive the EMA. Projections for the education maintenance allowance are made on a national basis and not broken down by local authority area.

Enterprise

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-1301 by John Swinney on 22 November 2007, whether it supports the principle of setting a target for the award of public sector contracts to small and medium-sized businesses and, if so, what it considers to be a suitable target and when such a target will be established.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government is committed to improving access for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to public contract opportunities. Work is underway to establish the volume of public procurement already placed with SMEs and consideration will be given to targets in the first half of 2008.

Enterprise

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what incentives are being considered to encourage businesses in Scotland to become carbon neutral.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government will be issuing a consultation in January on proposals for the Climate Change Bill which will include a target of reducing emissions by 80% by 2050. Achieving such an ambitious target will require action by all sectors. The most effective way to mitigate climate change is by avoiding and reducing emissions. To this end we are working with the business sector in a number of areas to reduce its emissions including: support of the recent Business Summit on Climate Change; working with the Climate Change Business Delivery Group; funding the Carbon Trust to assist businesses to reduce their carbon emissions; funding Loan Action Scotland (a loan scheme for small and medium-sized enterprises to deliver energy efficiency projects), and, importantly, on implementation of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and the forthcoming Carbon Reduction Commitment.

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what reduction in carbon emissions is estimated to be achieved by 2011 under each of the new measures that the Scottish Government has identified as measures intended to deliver carbon savings in the spending review announced on 14 November 2007.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which new initiatives or programmes implemented since May 2007 have reduced or limited greenhouse gas emissions, also showing the estimated tonnage of carbon saved by each.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which new initiatives or programmes implemented since May 2007 have increased greenhouse gas emissions, also showing the estimated tonnage of carbon involved in each case.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-4254 on 21 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which initiatives or identified programmes in its draft budget contribute to reducing carbon emissions over the period of the spending review and what the best estimate is of the amount, expressed in tonnage of carbon, by which emissions will be reduced by each such initiative over 2008-11.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-6404 on 29 November 2007, and to S3W-425 on 21 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it will set for new buildings to reduce their carbon footprint and when it anticipates that these targets will be met.

Stewart Stevenson: I have asked Dr Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:

  Targets and timescales for reducing the carbon footprint of new buildings are currently under consideration. We appointed an Expert Panel to advise on a "Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland". The report of the panel will be published before the end of the year.

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all proposals under consideration for programmes or initiatives that will reduce or limit greenhouse gas emissions.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-6404 on 29 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued in respect of green procurement.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government has issued guidance to the wider Scottish public sector on how, and under what circumstances, social and environmental criteria can be specified in public contracts. All guidance on green procurement can be found on the Scottish Procurement Directorate’s website:  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Procurement/PublicProcurement/ProcurementPolicy/coporate-responsibility .

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the relative proportions, by sector, from which it is estimated that the 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, as proposed in the SNP manifesto, will be met.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government will be issuing a consultation in January on proposals for the Climate Change Bill which will include a target of reducing emissions by 80% by 2050. The levels of reduction required in each sector have not been determined. We believe that we need independent, expert advice on what the trajectory of emissions reductions should be, because it is important that the process under which the trajectory is set is transparent and robust. To this end, the UK Climate Change Bill makes provision for the devolved administrations to seek advice on targets they may set, from the UK Committee on Climate Change. We plan to use this facility in the short term but the consultation will seek views on the significant issue of how we receive such advice in the longer term, once our Climate Change Bill is commenced.

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that "Officials should not be inhibited by the costs/carbon footprint of travel to secure invaluable face-to-face time", as reported in Scotland on Sunday on 5 August 2007.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government believes that it will always be necessary to balance the cost and emission caused by travel against the fact that face-to-face meetings are important for good government. Because this will inevitably involve ministers and officials in travel, Scottish Government has chosen to offset the emissions resulting from its necessary travel as well as setting targets for reducing travel related carbon emissions.

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated carbon footprint of ministerial travel by official car is for 2007-08; whether it is taking any additional steps now to reduce the carbon footprint and the financial costs involved, and whether it has set a target for reducing such costs in the remainder of this financial year.

John Swinney: The Government Car Service (GCS) was responsible for 6.8% (195 tonnes of CO 2 ) of the emissions attributed to business travel by the Scottish Government in 2006-07. The majority of this was for ministerial travel but others are also entitled to use the service. We expect the 2007-08 figure to be not dissimilar although travel patterns are yet to fully stabilise.

  There is no specific target for the carbon emissions of the GCS in isolation, as the service is included within overall travel targets. The present targets were published in the 2005-06 Scottish Government environmental report and updated targets will be published when the 2006-07 report is published in December.

  We act to reduce the carbon footprint of the service wherever practicable. As a consequence, we have introduced four hybrid cars to the fleet and the diesel Volvos recently purchased for GCS emit 12% less CO2 per kilometre than the dual fuel (petrol/LPG) models they are replacing.

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce schemes to help car owners convert to cleaner road fuels in order to cut pollution, along the lines of schemes referred to in an SNP press release entitled "Scotland’s green car schemes stalled" on 26 February 2006.

Stewart Stevenson: Such schemes have been of value in the past and helped us to understand better the issues relating to both air quality, and the emissions causing climate change. We are currently considering new measures which will best offer value for money and help deliver significant emission reductions and encourage the demand for cleaner vehicles across Scotland. These include investment in public transport and the promotion of behavioural change which includes supporting the development and use of travel plans, eco-driving, green fleet reviews and the use of fuel and vehicle technologies that result in reduced emissions. A strategic approach to the use of both biofuels and other fuel and vehicle technologies as they emerge, will be supported by this wider range of behavioural measures being pursued and is consistent with expert opinion and both UK and EU policy.

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed Climate Change Bill will place specific duties on local authorities, Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government recognises the important part that the public sector has to play in reducing Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions. It has not yet been determined how the proposed Climate Change Bill will take this into account but the forthcoming consultation will seek views on various measures that will enable the wider public sector, including local authorities, Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies, to reduce their emissions.

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what amounts were identified in its autumn budget revision or in the end-year flexibility announcement as having been made available to support climate change programmes.

Stewart Stevenson: Whilst some expenditure in the autumn budget revision will support the Scottish Government’s climate change objectives, it is not necessarily identified as such. However, provision totalling £16.7 million was made in the autumn budget revision for a Forestry Commission drawdown from Central Unallocated Provision for the climate change programme, private woodland grants and Cost of Capital. £7.3 million of this was specifically for acquisition and planting of additional land and increased new planting in the private sector in support of measures included in Scotland’s Climate Change Programme.

  The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth announced at the end of June that he would not be allocating end year flexibility to portfolios this year, with a view to considering those resources as part of the Strategic Spending Review.

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is being prepared to assist local authorities and devolved agencies to become carbon neutral.

Stewart Stevenson: Decisions to become carbon neutral are for individual local authorities and agencies and there are presently no plans to produce Scottish Government guidance.

  The Scottish Government supports the Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN) to provide assistance to local authorities in meeting their commitments in Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration, including reducing emissions from their own operations. Carbon neutrality was covered at the SSN annual conference in November, and the proceedings from this event are available on the SSN website at: www.sustainable-scotland.net.

  As part of our work to deliver this government’s strategic objectives, in particular securing a Greener and Wealthier and Fairer Scotland, consideration is being given to how other public bodies can be supported to deliver a contribution to our climate change objectives.

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps local authorities will be required to take under outcome agreements between now and 2011 in respect of contributing towards its climate change objectives.

Stewart Stevenson: As part of the new partnership arrangements, the Scottish Government is seeking to agree there will be a move to a Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) for every local authority based on an agreed set of national outcomes and indicators. SOAs are expected to be in place for all authorities during 2008-09.

  The Scottish Government will work with local government on a new performance reporting system to underpin the move to SOAs, which will replace over time the myriad of existing systems and will provide regular reports to the Scottish Government on progress. Further details on these new arrangements can be found in the Scottish Budget Report and related concordat with local government. The concordat also sets the full package of measures agreed, including the delivery of specific manifesto commitments. Copies of both documents are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 44076 and 44077 respectively).

Further Education

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to establish mechanisms for formal engagement between Skills Development Scotland, further education colleges and the Scottish Funding Council.

Fiona Hyslop: It will be vital for Skills Development Scotland to develop close and effective links with the Scottish Funding Council, further education colleges and other key stakeholders and I will ensure that such links are established. The change programme now in place will consider both the strategic relationships necessary in the skills landscape and also options for the local development of skills. The Scottish Funding Council and further education colleges will figure in both these areas of work.

General Practitioners

Bob Doris (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific help it is giving to GPs in deprived areas.

Shona Robison: GP practices in deprived locations face challenges that would not be experienced elsewhere. We are determined to see resources to GP practices increasingly distributed according to the health needs of the local population.

  A specific example of this is the Scottish Enhanced Services Programme for primary and community care services. This new £20 million programme is allocated, in part, through the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. This methodology is much more sensitive to the needs of GP practices in deprived locations.

Health

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to improve the health of people in Dumfries and Galloway.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has policies and programmes in place to tackle Scotland’s biggest health challenges – including alcohol, smoking and healthy weight management.

  Our Health and Wellbeing Action Plan will set out our intentions for the delivery of safe, modern and sustainable health services in remote and rural areas.

Health

Tom McCabe (Hamilton South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its approach will be to specialised trauma units.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is supportive of an approach to trauma care that keeps urgent care facilities as local as possible, responding to local circumstances and needs, while providing specialist services where necessary.

Health

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases have been referred to the Health Professions Council by NHS bodies in Scotland since 1999.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Health Professions Council (HPC) was established in July 2003. Since that time, 29 cases have been referred to the HPC from employers in Scotland.

Health

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS bodies are legally obligated to report any disciplinary hearings to the Health Professions Council regardless of the outcome.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS bodies are not legally obliged to report disciplinary hearings to the Health Professions Council (HPC). However, NHS, and all other employers, are free to report any concern they have about a health professional’s fitness to practice to the appropriate regulatory body. The HPC would expect employers, on the grounds of public protection, to report anything that may affect a practitioner’s fitness to practice.

Health Professions Council

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive under what legal authority the Health Professions Council has arbitration rights in Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Health Professions Council is a corporate body which regulates various health professions. It was set up, and given powers, including powers to hold hearings in Scotland, by the Health Professions Order 2001.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-6037 by Stewart Stevenson on 12 November 2007, how many additional affordable housing units were built as a result of PAN 74 in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07, broken down by local authority area.

Stewart Stevenson: This information is not currently held centrally. My answer of 12 November 2007 refers to the work we are doing to put monitoring arrangements in place to assess the effectiveness of the advice in PAN 74.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Housing

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been made available for the provision of affordable housing in the Lothians parliamentary region in each year since 2003-04.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked James Hynd, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  The funding made available for the provision of affordable housing in the Lothians parliamentary region each year since 2003-04 is set out in the following table.

  


 2003-04 Outturn
 2004-05 Outturn
 2005-06 Outturn
 2006-07 Outturn
 2007-08 Budget


£23.975 million
£37.206 million
£43.063 million
£52.287 million
£50.64 million




   This information covers both West Lothian and City of Edinburgh Council areas; Musselburgh (but not the remainder of East Lothian Council area), and all of Midlothian Council area excluding Penicuik.

Income

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what median gross weekly earnings have been in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

John Swinney: The preferred source for earnings estimates is the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), which is carried out by the Office for National Statistics. The latest earnings available are April 2007.

  I have placed tables from ASHE containing the median gross weekly full-time earnings by local authority area for 1999-2007 in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 44176).

  The data are based on place of work as place of residence statistics are not available prior to 2002.

Justice

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has had with the Home Secretary regarding the provision of more powers to the Scottish Parliament.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the Home Office at ministerial and official levels on a wide range of issues. Those where the specific possibility of widening the Scottish Parliament’s powers has been raised are firearms control and drink driving. These were among the issues discussed when I met the Home Secretary on 19 July 2007, and those discussions are continuing.

Justice

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that no children are placed in adult prisons.

Kenny MacAskill: It is the Scottish Government’s policy that no child should be placed in an adult prison unless absolutely necessary. And if there is a need to do so, it should be for the shortest possible period of time.

  We are investing £20.5 million to support the redevelopment of the secure estate, to ensure the availability of high quality specialist provision for this very vulnerable group of young people. An additional 29 places will be provided delivering an overall estate of 125 places when the redevelopment is complete in 2008.

  We have also supported the development of robust alternatives to secure care, through intensive community-based programmes like Includem’s secure care through care and aftercare project, the Impact project and the Intensive Support and Monitoring Services through the children’s hearings system.

Justice

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) murders and (b) violent offences occurred (i) in the home, (ii) in the community and (iii) on licensed premises in each year since 1999, broken down by constabulary.

Kenny MacAskill: Figures on the location of violent offences are not held centrally. The figures requested for homicides are shown in the following table. Due to the relatively small numbers involved, percentages have not been calculated. This is consistent with the format in which the figures are published. Updated homicide figures are due to be published on 18 December 2007.

  Number of Victims of Homicide by Location, Year Recorded and Police Force Area, 1999-00 to 2005-06

  

 Police Force Area
 1999-2000


 All Victims
 House, Dwelling etc, Incl. Garden of House
 Community1
 Licensed2
 Unknown


 All
 123
 65
 54
 4
 -


 Northern
 3
 1
 2
 -
 -


 Grampian
 8
 7
 1
 -
 -


 Tayside
 6
 3
 3
 -
 -


 Fife
 2
 2
 -
 -
 -


 Lothian and Borders
 13
 7
 6
 -
 -


 Central
 3
 1
 2
 -
 -


 Strathclyde
 82
 39
 40
 3
 -


 Dumfries and Galloway
 6
 5
 -
 1
 -



  

 Police Force Area
 2000-01


 All Victims
 House, Dwelling etc, Incl. Garden of House
 Community1
 Licensed Premises2
 Unknown


 All
 108
 67
 37
 4
 -


 Northern
 3
 2
 1
 -
 -


 Grampian
 12
 8
 3
 1
 -


 Tayside
 4
 1
 3
 -
 -


 Fife
 3
 3
 -
 -
 -


 Lothian and Borders
 11
 10
 -
 1
 -


 Central
 4
 2
 2
 -
 -


 Strathclyde
 65
 39
 24
 2
 -


 Dumfries and Galloway
 6
 2
 4
 -
 -



  

 Police Force Area
 2001-02


 All Victims
 House, Dwelling etc, Incl. Garden of House
 Community1
 Licensed Premises2
 Unknown


 All
 113
 69
 41
 1
 2


 Northern
 4
 4
 -
 -
 -


 Grampian
 3
 1
 1
 -
 1


 Tayside
 7
 3
 4
 -
 -


 Fife
 2
 2
 -
 -
 -


 Lothian and Borders
 15
 12
 2
 1
 -


 Central
 5
 4
 1
 -
 -


 Strathclyde
 72
 40
 32
 -
 -


 Dumfries and Galloway
 5
 3
 1
 -
 1



  

Police Force Area
2002-03


All Victims
House, Dwelling etc, Incl. Garden of House
Community1
Licensed Premises2
Unknown


All
125
74
48
2
1


Northern
7
4
3
-
-


Grampian
9
6
3
-
-


Tayside
9
4
5
-
-


Fife
2
2
-
-
-


Lothian and Borders
14
11
2
-
1


Central
6
4
2
-
-


Strathclyde
78
43
33
2
-


Dumfries and Galloway
-
-
-
-
-



  

 Police Force Area
 2003-04


 All Victims
 House, Dwelling etc, Incl. Garden of House
 Community1
 Licensed Premises2
 Unknown


 All
 108
 66
 37
 4
 1


 Northern
 1
 -
 -
 1
 -


 Grampian
 6
 5
 -
 1
 -


 Tayside
 4
 2
 2
 -
 -


 Fife
 3
 1
 2
 -
 -


 Lothian and Borders
 16
 13
 3
 -
 -


 Central
 1
 -
 1
 -
 -


 Strathclyde
 74
 43
 28
 2
 1


 Dumfries and Galloway
 3
 2
 1
 -
 -



  

 Police Force Area
 2004-05


 All Victims
 House, Dwelling etc, Incl. Garden of House
 Community1
 Licensed Premises2
 Unknown


 All
 137
 73
 60
 2
 2


 Northern
 5
 5
 -
 -
 -


 Grampian
 8
 6
 1
 -
 1


 Tayside
 4
 1
 3
 -
 -


 Fife
 4
 3
 1
 -
 -


 Lothian and Borders
 22
 16
 6
 -
 -


 Central
 6
 5
 1
 -
 -


 Strathclyde
 85
 37
 46
 2
 -


 Dumfries and Galloway
 3
 -
 2
 -
 1



  

 Police Force Area
 2005-06


 All Victims
 House, Dwelling etc, Incl. Garden of House
 Community1
 Licensed Premises2
 Unknown


 All
 92
 43
 45
 2
 2


 Northern
 4
 4
 -
 -
 -


 Grampian
 3
 1
 2
 -
 -


 Tayside
 7
 4
 3
 -
 -


 Fife
 1
 1
 -
 -
 -


 Lothian and Borders
 10
 3
 6
 1
 -


 Central
 2
 1
 1
 -
 -


 Strathclyde
 62
 28
 32
 1
 1


 Dumfries and Galloway
 3
 1
 1
 -
 1



  Notes:

  1. Community category includes all categories other than "House, dwelling etc" and "Licensed premises".

  2. Recorded under "Licensed premises (bar, club, etc)" in Homicide data collection.

Land

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are permitted to sell property at a price that they consider to represent best value, even in circumstances where this does not represent the highest price.

John Swinney: Local authorities are expected to dispose of land for the best consideration reasonably obtainable to achieve their best value obligations, under Part 1 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003. However, that does not mean that best value can only be achieved through disposal to the highest bidder. Best value can also be achieved by an authority deciding that the best option is to dispose at an undervalue to help fulfil that authority’s social and housing objectives, which would give a better outcome for the community rather than selling to a developer at best price.

Lifelong Learning

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for continued support for Determined to Broadcast and other projects and programmes funded through the Determined to Succeed strategy.

Maureen Watt: We have confirmed our commitment to continued delivery of Determined to Succeed as part of the recent Scottish Spending Review and are considering how best to take the strategy forward, taking into account our new relationship with local authorities. Our aim remains to ensure all Scotland’s young people enjoy enterprising and entrepreneurial learning. The future of Determined to Broadcast and other programmes and projects will be considered in this context.

NHS Hospitals

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to be able to respond to the findings of the hospital parking charges review group.

Nicola Sturgeon: I am carefully considering the report of the review group which I received on 30 November 2007. I will announce my decision on its recommendations in due course.

National Health Service

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of NHS Highland and what issues were discussed.

Nicola Sturgeon: I meet regularly with all NHS chairs to discuss matters of importance to health and the NHS in Scotland, most recently on 26 November 2007. The Minister for Public Health also met with the senior team of NHS Highland on 21 August when she chaired the board’s annual review. The board’s performance on key national health targets including health improvement, efficiency, waiting times and cancer care were discussed.

Non-Domestic Rates

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total revenue from business rates will be in each year from 2007-08 to 2010-11 if the plans outlined on page 12 of Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 are implemented.

John Swinney: The total revenue from business rates in each year from 2007-08 to 2010-11 is projected to be as follows, assuming implementation of the plans for the Small Business Bonus Scheme at the percentage levels set out in the table included on page 12 of the Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007:

  

£ Million
 2007-08
 2008-09
 2009-10
 2010-11


 Non-Domestic Rates
 1,859.2
 1,962.8
 2,019.1
 2,014



  Notes:

  1. The non-domestic rates figures are estimates and are stated net of the projected cost of all rates reliefs, including the Small Business Bonus Scheme in 2008-11. Firmer figures for each year will be confirmed when the poundage rates are available.

  2. These figures are taken from the table in Chapter 27: Local Government of the Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 (page 142), after deduction of Other AME Grants of £8 million annually.

  3.The Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 is available at: www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/11/13092240/0.

Parliamentary Questions

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive to how many parliamentary questions it has given a holding answer prior to the substantive answer since May 2007 and what percentage of questions this represents.

Bruce Crawford: This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  All answers including holding answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Pensions

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the personal pension information sent by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde went missing.

John Swinney: My statement to parliament of 28 November 2007 confirms that the data did not go missing and was in fact located at the address to which it had been sent.

Pensions

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers were made aware that personal pension information sent by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had gone missing.

John Swinney: My statement to parliament of 28 November 2007 confirms that the SPPA informed the Scottish Government of the potential problem on Friday 23 November 2007.

Pensions

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why a ministerial statement has not been made to the Parliament about the missing personal pension information sent by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

John Swinney: A ministerial statement was made on 28 November 2007, the first parliamentary sitting day after the issue emerged.

Pensions

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the personnel concerned were informed about the loss of their pension details as part of a package of information sent by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

John Swinney: No. It was quickly established that the data were not lost.

Pre-School Education

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether HM Inspectorate of Education has found evidence to show that local authority nurseries where children have access to a nursery teacher perform better than local authority nurseries without access to a nursery teacher.

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether HM Inspectorate of Education has found a correlation between access to a nursery teacher and quality of education in local authority early years provision.

Adam Ingram: HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) evidence from inspections shows, on the whole, higher quality educational provision for pre-school children in centres where a teacher is employed compared to local authority and partner centres with no teacher. The HMIE report The Key Role of Staff in Providing Quality Pre-School Education shows settings with a teacher were more effective at meeting children’s needs and had more effective leadership. http://www.hmie.gov.uk/documents/publication/krsppqse.html .

Pre-School Education

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many General Teaching Council for Scotland registered teachers will be required in Dundee to implement the 2007 SNP manifesto commitment to provide access to a fully qualified teacher for every nursery child.

The Executive have supplied the following corrected answer:

Adam Ingram: No estimate has been made of the number of teachers required in individual local authority areas. The latest statistics show that almost 63% of pre-school education centres in Dundee have at least one General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) registered member of staff. The figures vary between types of provider. On purely numerical grounds, approximately 21 centres do not employ a teacher. However, children in some of these centres may have access to a teacher by other means such as a peripatetic teacher visiting on a regular basis or some other flexible teaching support service.

Pre-School Education

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many General Teaching Council for Scotland registered teachers will be required in Angus to implement the 2007 SNP manifesto commitment to provide access to a fully qualified teacher for every nursery child.

The Executive have supplied the following corrected answer:

Adam Ingram: No estimate has been made of the number of teachers required in individual local authority areas. The latest statistics show that around 48% of pre-school education centres in Angus have at least one General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) registered member of staff. The figures vary between types of provider. On purely numerical grounds, approximately 44 centres do not employ a teacher. However, children in some of these centres may have access to a teacher by other means such as a peripatetic teacher visiting on a regular basis or some other flexible teaching support service.

Procurement

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S30-1301 by John Swinney on 22 November 2007, whether the cross-sector policy forum is considering the role that might be played by social enterprises in the public sector procurement process and what specific steps are being considered to help ensure such a role.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government believes that social enterprises have a part to play in public procurement and considerable guidance is already available to assist and support them. The establishment of the cross-sector procurement policy forum will enable best practice to be shared amongst public bodies and this includes best practice in respect of the part that social enterprises can play.

Public Sector

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what remuneration and expenses have been paid so far to each member of the (a) Council of Economic Advisors, (b) Scottish Broadcasting Commission and (c) Prisons Commission.

John Swinney: Appointments to the Council of Economic Advisors and the Scottish Prisons Commission are not remunerated and no expenses have been paid so far to members of either group.

  Remuneration to the chair of the Scottish Broadcasting Council currently stands at £6,192. No expenses have been paid to date.

Public Sector Buildings

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the carbon footprint is for each of (a) its and (b) its agencies’ buildings in which more than 100 people are employed.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government currently only records the CO 2 emissions relating to the energy use at the buildings on it’s core estate. The emissions during 2006-07 in respect of those buildings in which over 100 people are employed are as follows:

  

 Building
 CO2 Relative to Energy Use1 (Tonnes)


 Victoria Quay
 2,256.51


 Saughton House
 2,106.68


 St Andrew’s House
 1,142.69


 Pentland House
 621.82


 Meridian Court 
 590.78


 Europa Building 
 397.18


 Total
 7,115.66



  Note: 1. Figures calculated using total kWh consumption of electricity, gas and fuel oil.

  The Scottish Government continues to demonstrate its support of renewable technologies by procuring 100% of the electricity required to run its buildings from renewable sources. From the above buildings this was equivalent to around 5,400 tonnes of CO2.

  The information regarding the environmental performance of agencies is not held centrally. The Scottish Government’s Greener Scotland Directorate is working to ensure that all parts of the public sector, including agencies, establish appropriate environmental management policies, procedures and targets and provide annual performance reports, which will be published, when it is available, on the Scottish Government internet.

Public Transport

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5502 by Stewart Stevenson on 19 November 2007, what funding has been provided under the Bus Route Development Grant in each year since its inception and how much has been allowed for in the local government finance settlement to enable local authorities to support new bus services in their area for three years from 2008-09.

Stewart Stevenson: In 2005-06, £15,783,393 and in 2006-07 £11,256,026 was allocated under the Bus Route Development Grant scheme to provide funding for projects over the three year period 2005-06 to 2007-08. The final funding allocations were made in March 2007.

  In financial years 2005-06 and 2006-07 payments in respect of the above allocations amounting to £9,783,727.61 were made. In the current financial year we estimate further expenditure of around £6.5 million.

  Under the Concordat agreed between Scottish ministers and COSLA, the ring fence around the Bus Route Development Grant will be removed from 1 April 2008, with the funding being absorbed into the main local government settlement.

  The Scottish Government will be providing local government in Scotland with record levels of funding over the period covered by the spending review 2008-11. The vast majority of the funding, including the funding for implementation of the Bus Route Development Grant, will be provided by means of a block grant. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities including the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives and manifesto commitments.

Rail Network

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it would contribute towards supporting a fast rail link to Scotland from England, as suggested in an SNP press release entitled "It’s Time for Real Action on Climate Change" on 30 October 2007 and where such funding can be found in the spending review and draft budget.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government did not issue a press release entitled "It’s Time for Real Action on Climate Change" on 30 October 2007.

  As an SNP press release exactly a year earlier made clear, lead responsibility for cross border rail services lies with the Secretary of State for Transport. However, improving journey times between Scotland and England, with connections to mainland Europe through the Channel Tunnel Rail Link is an aspiration of the Scottish Government. We will continue to work with the Department for Transport to achieve faster journeys between Scotland and England and will consider the most appropriate transport solutions for Scotland and its economy through the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR).

Rail Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the carbon impact is of its proposals for a new spur and an overland connection between existing rail lines and Edinburgh airport.

Stewart Stevenson: The proposals are for an electrified railway. On average electric trains are responsible for in the order of 15% less carbon emissions than equivalent diesel trains and emissions at a local level (along the route and in stations) are virtually zero. Modern electric trains also use power more efficiently as they are fitted with systems which, whilst braking, regenerate electricity and recycle energy back into the supply grid.

Rail Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether more non-stop services between Haymarket and Glasgow Queen Street are under consideration as a means of taking forward the Executive’s commitment to speeding up rail services between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Stewart Stevenson: Currently there are no non-stop services running between Haymarket and Glasgow Queen Street.

  The proposed improvements to the Edinburgh and Glasgow route include the possibility of a service increase from the current four trains per hour each way to six trains per hour each way. One option being considered is that two of these services could be "fast" non-stop services and achieve a journey time of around 35 minutes.

  Timetable analysis to date suggests a mix of "fast" non-stop and stopping" services between Edinburgh and Glasgow will address the need for a fast end-to-end service whilst also taking care of the needs of intermediate communities along the route using local stations. Further detailed timetabling and economic assessment work will be carried out as the programme progresses.

Roads

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when notification will be sent to the statutory objectors to the proposed route for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route of the date of any public local inquiry.

Stewart Stevenson: The public local inquiry is expected to take place early in 2008. We are currently working in preparation for this. Arrangements are currently in hand and the next step will be to hold a pre-inquiry meeting to which all statutory objectors will be invited. That will set the timescale for the inquiry.

Roads

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which new or upgraded road projects the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change has committed to taking forward in press releases since his appointment.

Stewart Stevenson: Amongst the many press statements and comments I have made about progress on existing trunk road projects and our planning for the future I have always been clear that we will press ahead with more than 40 major projects in the current programme to 2012. I have been equally clear that new investment will emerge from the Strategic Transport Projects Review which is due to report to ministers next summer.

  Details and timescales for our major and important planned road projects can be found on the Transport Scotland website at: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/uploads/documents/Scottish-Motorways-Trunk-Road-Programme-June2007-final.pdf.

Roads

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time equivalent jobs would be provided by upgrading the A82.

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what effect an upgrade of the A82 would have on the economy of the western highlands and islands.

Stewart Stevenson: The A82 Route Action Plan focused on the technical and engineering issues and did not undertake a detailed examination of the wider economic benefits.

  Projects emerging from the STPR will be subject to further, more detailed design development; preliminary and detailed engineering assessment, and cost, environmental, traffic and economic assessments in accordance with current guidance.

Schools

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the terms of its concordat with COSLA will result in an end to school inspections.

Fiona Hyslop: As indicated in the concordat, we will work with local government to develop an agreed response to the Crerar review that will lead to improvements in performance management and self-assessment across the public sector. In due course, this will enable a more focused and proportionate inspection regime to apply to local government and the services they provide, including education services.

  The National Performance Framework with the national outcomes and national indicators is at the heart of the concordat. A number of the national indicators within the Framework are based explicitly on inspection reports - for example Increase the proportion of schools receiving positive inspection reports and Increase the overall proportion of area child protection committees receiving positive inspection reports. Schools and social work inspections will continue to have an important role in scrutinising these key public services and in tracking progress towards the national outcomes.

Scottish Government Advertising

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent on newspaper advertising in the most recent year for which figures are available, broken down by title of publication.

John Swinney: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government, however, our current media buying agency has provided this information at no cost to the government. The following table details newspaper advertising spend for the financial year 2006-07 broken down by title of publication.

  

 Title
 Total Inc VAT


 AMRA
£40,107.09


 Ayrshire World
£6,494.72


 Clyde Weekly News
£425.54


 Dumbarton and Lennox Herald
£1,594.06


 Dumfries/Galloway Standard
£7,454.00


 East Kilbride News
£610.79


 Hamilton Advertiser
£936.30


 Lanarkshire Package
£2,752.25


 Lanarkshire World Series
£8,491.75


 Perthshire Advertiser (fri Ed)
£2,348.41


 Stirling Observer (fri Ed)
£4,218.36


 The Glaswegian
£4,013.99


 West Lothian Courier
£766.92


 Archant Specialist
£1,143.24


 Asian Extra
£1,143.24


 Associated Newspapers Ltd
£135,565.73


 Daily Mail - Scotland
£19,199.17


 Daily Mail - Weekend
£19,295.16


 Metro - Glasgow
£8,421.88


 Metro - London
£40,309.87


 Metro - National
£27,669.84


 Metro - Scotland
£17,933.50


 The Mail on Sunday - Scottish Edition £ 0.29%
£2,736.32


 Ayrshire Weekly Press Group
£9,559.24


 Ayrshire Weekly Press Group £ 0.95%
£9,559.24


 Career Media Ltd
£3,175.67


 Care Appointments Scotland £ 0.32%
£3,175.67


 Clacksons £ 0.33%
£3,350.34


 East Lothian (Haddington) Courier
£2,683.44


 The Paisley Renfrewshire Extra
£666.89


 DC Thomson & Company Ltd
£52,690.68


 Courier and Advertiser (Dundee)
£28,042.16


 Dundee Courier & Advertiser / The Sunday Post £ 0.21%
£2,111.83


 Dundee Evening Telegraph
£5,811.48


 Sunday Post
£16,725.21


 Edinburgh City Council
£740.99


 City News - Edinburgh
£740.99


 ESPC LTD
£5,737.38


 ESPC
£5,737.38


 Ethnic Media Group
£13,727.37


 Eastern Eye
£13,727.37


 Forth Independent Newspapers Ltd
£423.42


 Alloa Clackmannan Wee County News £ 0.04%
£423.42


 Glasgow City Council
£1,534.91


 Inside Glasgow
£1,534.91


 Guardian Media Group
£17,089.71


 The Guardian
£17,089.71


 Independent Newspapers UK Ltd
£5,998.49


 The Independent
£5,998.49


 Mediaforce
£231,446.58


 Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald
£2,275.35


 Clydebank Post
£607.62


 Dunfermline Press West Fife Advertiser £ 0.2%
£1,966.27


 Edinburgh Evening News
£13,249.68


 Edinburgh Herald and Post
£999.75


 Falkirk Herald
£6,099.41


 Fife Free Press
£7,386.19


 Glenrothes Gazette
£320.74


 Greenock Telegraph
£2,709.90


 Helensburgh Advertiser
£828.85


 Highland & Grampian News Group
£1,643.52


 Inverness Courier (fri Ed)
£2,577.06


 Irvine Times
£953.76


 Kirkintilloch Herald
£1,393.06


 Mediaforce Scottish Package
£80,209.03


 Northern Scot
£1,174.20


 Northern Scot Midweek Extra
£6,798.06


 Oban Times and W Highland Times 
£3,895.49


 Paisley and Renfrewshire Gazette Series £ 0.07%
£706.06


 Scotland on Sunday
£12,902.76


 Southern Reporter
£3,162.97


 Stirling News
£751.58


 Stornoway Gazette and West Coast Advertiser £ 0.64%
£6,477.74


 The Orcadian - Orkney
£4,628.48


 The Scotsman
£29,129.95


 The Scotsman Magazine
£8,880.77


 The Spectrum (Scotland On Sunday) £ 2.58%
£24,448.86


 Western Borders Package
£5,269.50


 News International
£94,983.48


 News Of the World
£19,522.59


 The Sun - Scottish Edition
£49,914.95


 The Sunday Times - Irish Edition
£6,718.31


 The Sunday Times - Scotish Edition
£7,898.02


 The Times - Educational Supplement £ 1.12%
£10,929.60


 Newsquest (Herald and Evening Times)
£41,117.67


 Glasgow Evening Times - Display
£12,124.95


 Glasgow Herald
£1,999.50


 Glasgow Herald Magazine
£9,997.49


 Herald Magazine
£1,999.50


 Seven Days (Sunday Herald)
£4,798.79


 Sunday Herald Magazine - Scotland
£10,197.44


 Northcliffe
£47,605.14


 Aberdeen Evening Express
£11,511.82


 Aberdeen Evening Express (classifed) £ 0.14%
£1,376.12


 Aberdeen Press and Journal
£34,717.20


 Northern & Shell
£6,970.25


 Daily Express - Scotland
£1,623.59


 Daily Star - Scotland
£3,703.07


 Daily Star On Sunday
£299.93


 Sunday Express
£1,343.66


 Scottish & Universal Papers
£1,714.87


 Ayrshire 3 Package
£1,714.87


 The Inverness Courier
£26,308.54


 Inverness Courier
£26,308.54


 The Shetland Times
£5,172.22


 Shetland Times
£5,172.22


 Trinity PLC
£157,823.27


 Sunday Mail
£35,289.25


 The Daily Record
£122,534.03


 Totals 
£903,986.27

Scottish Government Contracts

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations are employed by each of its sections or departments for sending documents and other material both internally and externally.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government mail is serviced by Royal Mail and the courier services of two companies, FedEx and DX.

  Internal mail is handled by the in-house distribution teams and an in-house van service.

Scottish Government Expenditure

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of cash releasing savings will be retained in each directorate, also broken down by directorate.

John Swinney: The efficiency savings made will allow £1.6 billion to be redirected over the next three years. Decisions on the allocation of the cash released will be made within portfolios on the basis of how best to deliver the Scottish Government’s priorities. Under the Concordat, signed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on 14 November 2007, local authorities for the first time will be allowed to retain all of their efficiency savings to redeploy and meet on-going and new pressures. Other portfolios will have an element of their efficiency savings deducted at source.

Scottish Government Expenditure

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what spending will be included in Other Miscellaneous as shown on page 127 of Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007, broken down by year and with indicative spending allocations where available.

John Swinney: The following table shows the breakdown of the Other Miscellaneous Level 3 within the Justice Budget.

  

Other Miscellaneous
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11


Reducing Reoffending and Court Reform
8.896
9.596
9.996


Criminal Law Research
0.617
0.617
0.617


Parole Board for Scotland
1.400
1.400
1.400


Criminal Justice Joint Working Fund
0.621
0.621
0.621


Prisoner Complaints Commission
0.153
0.153
0.153


Security
0.040
0.040
0.040


Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission
1.300
1.300
1.300


Risk Management Authority
1.500
1.500
1.500


Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons
0.335
0.335
0.335


Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey
1.000
1.000
1.000


Sentencing Commission
0.150
0.150
0.150


Integration of Scottish Criminal Justice Information Systems
0.500
0.500
0.500


Capital Charges/Depreciation
0.048
0.048
0.048


Court Reviews (McInnes and Bonomy)
0.870
0.870
0.870


National Criminal Justice Board
0.513
0.513
0.513


Legal Costs
0.080
0.080
0.080


Miscarriages Of Justice Organisations
0.066
0.066
0.066


Civil Justice Publications
0.045
0.045
0.045


Civil Justice Conferences
0.045
0.045
0.045


Civil Justice Advertising
0.051
0.051
0.051


In-Court Advice
0.320
0.320
0.320


Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman etc. 
0.453
0.453
0.453


EU Justice and Home Affairs Initiatives
0.030
0.030
0.030


Immigration Advisory Service
0.405
0.405
0.405


Mediation and Tribunals
0.220
0.220
0.220


Access to Justice/Private International Law Legal Costs
0.070
0.070
0.070


Bankruptcy and Diligence
0.130
0.130
0.130


HR Scotland Project
0.010
0.010
0.010


Family Law and Scottish Law Commission
0.235
0.235
0.235


Adults with Incapacity National Practice Co-ordinator
0.028
0.028
0.028


Civil Law Publications 
0.207
0.207
0.207


Research Civil Law
0.340
0.340
0.340


Scottish Legal Complaints Commission
0.800
0.800
0.800


Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary
0.886
0.886
0.886


Her Majesty’s Fire Service Inspectorate 
0.626
0.626
0.626


Ad hoc miscellaneous
2.599
2.599
2.599


Total
25.589
26.289
26.689

Scottish Government Staff

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its employees are paid at a level whereby they are entitled to claim benefits and what percentage of its employees this represents.

John Swinney: The value of the pay ranges which apply in the Scottish Government core directorates and the percentage of the total Scottish Government staff in each pay range are as follows:

  

 Pay Range
 Minimum (£)
 Maximum (£)
 % of Staff


 A2
 12,300
 14,716
 6.5%


 A3
 14,000
 16,614
 14.4%


 A4
 14,350
 19,226
 3.9%


 B1
 17,000
 23,712
 16.5%


 B2
 21,292
 28,520
 21.1%


 B3
 26,650
 37,854
 13.9%


 BF
 21,292
 30,676
 1.2%


 C1
 36,203
 49,559
 13.1%


 C2
 40,441
 60,065
 4.3%


 C3
 44,165
 62,824
 1.0%


 SCS1
 56,100
 78,540
 2.8%


 SCS1A
 65,280
 87,720
 0.5%


 SCS2
 81,600
 
 0.6%


 SCS3
 99,960
 
 0.1%



  The Scottish Government does not hold information about whether its staff are eligible for benefits (including any that are related to income) – that depends on individual circumstances and is a matter for the Department for Work and Pensions or Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

Scottish Ministers

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any Scottish ministers have commissioned since 31 October 2007 any external legal advice that is likely to incur public expense in respect of their personal liability for costs incurred in discharge of their responsibilities.

John Swinney: I am not aware of any such instance.

Social Work

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the terms of its concordat with COSLA will result in an end to social work inspections.

Fiona Hyslop: As indicated in the concordat, we will work with local government to develop an agreed response to the Crerar review that will lead to improvements in performance management and self-assessment across the public sector. In due course, this will enable a more focused and proportionate inspection regime to apply to local government and the services they provide, including social work services.

  The National Performance Framework with the national outcomes and national indicators is at the heart of the concordat. A number of the national indicators within the framework are based explicitly on inspection reports - for example Increase the proportion of schools receiving positive inspection reports and Increase the overall proportion of area child protection committees receiving positive inspection reports. Schools and Social Work Inspections will continue to have an important role in scrutinising these key public services and in tracking progress towards the national outcomes.

Special Advisers

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-6022 by John Swinney on 20 November 2007, what overseas visit has been undertaken by the unpaid special adviser referred to and when.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-6022 by John Swinney on 20 November 2007, whether the overseas visit referred to is included in the expenses information provided in the answer to question S3W-4830 by John Swinney on 31 October 2007.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-6022 by John Swinney on 20 November 2007, what domestic visits have been undertaken by the unpaid special adviser referred to; how the visits have been funded, and what the total cost was of such visits.

John Swinney: Professor Sir Neil MacCormick undertook one trip to Brussels on 11 and 12 July 2007. The related expenses were included in the answer to question S3W-4830 on 31 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  Professor MacCormick has also undertaken one domestic visit to Dunblane Hydro in the company of the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture. There is therefore no cost of the visit attributable to him.

Student Finance

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of its plans to move from loans to grants for part-time students.

Fiona Hyslop: I am pleased to announce the details of our new support for part-time students studying in higher education (HE) for academic session 2008-09.

  We will introduce a £500 part-time HE fee grant from academic year 2008-09 for all new and existing students who earn £18,000 or less, and who are studying at 50% or more of a full-time course. This will replace the current £500 loan and will be delivered through a simplified ILA Scotland model.

  People who choose to study part-time have very different support needs and any improved package of financial support must recognise these differences. We believe that colleges and universities are best placed to assess these individual needs. We therefore intend to increase the amount of funding allocated to institutions’ hardship funds by £1 million annually. This additional discretionary support will enable institutions to provide more flexible support for part-time students, and can be used for study costs, travel costs and child care costs, based on individual need rather than fixed income thresholds.

Tourism

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether VisitScotland will have an enhanced role overseas in the promotion of tourism and what implications this will have for the relationship between VisitScotland and VisitBritain and the agreement on their respective roles in the promotion of Scotland overseas.

Jim Mather: VisitScotland’s main role is to lead in promoting Scotland as a tourism destination to potential visitors from both overseas and within the UK. VisitScotland also works closely with VisitBritain to promote Scotland, particularly in emerging overseas markets. To maximise the effectiveness of this joint work, VisitScotland is discussing, with strategic partners, how the role of VisitBritain might be changed to better fulfil its remit.

Transport

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much will be available in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11 to fund (i) regional transport partnerships (RTP), (ii) the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland and (iii) Passengers’ View Scotland, broken down by funding stream and expressed in real terms, also showing any year-on-year real term percentage changes.

Stewart Stevenson: The budget for Transport Strategy and Innovation line provides running cost support for regional transport partnerships, the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS), Passengers’ View Scotland and support for innovative transport solutions. The budget for the next three years is £9.7 million, £8.6 million and £7.1 million.

  The capital funding for some RTPs has been transferred to local government.

Voluntary Sector

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering ways in which funding can be made more accessible to small organisations that rely on such funding for their survival.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government recognises the important role and value provided by organisations, such as voluntary bodies and social enterprises, delivering services and support in communities. Funding is primarily a matter for local authorities and other public bodies and the government would encourage a significant role for voluntary organisations in the provision of such services. I announced in the Scottish Budget that there would be over £93 million over the next three years to support the development of an increasingly strong third sector.

Voluntary Sector

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the creation of a one-stop shop to make it easier for voluntary and other social enterprise organisations to apply for funding.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government recognises the important role and value provided by organisations, such as voluntary bodies and social enterprises, delivering services and support in communities. Funding is primarily a matter for local authorities and other public bodies, the government is keen to simplify the process of applying for support for voluntary organisations. I announced in the Scottish Budget that there would be over £93 million over the next three years to support the development of an increasingly strong third sector.

Voluntary Sector

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide support to national youth work organisations to replace any volunteering input lost as a result of the termination of funding for Project Scotland.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government will continue to work towards the aims set out in the youth work strategy and will continue to support the national voluntary organisations in achieving this. The Scottish Government recently launched Volunteering in the Youth Work Sector: An Action Plan, which was developed in collaboration with the national voluntary youth organisations. This supports volunteering in the youth work sector through a series of measures to promote volunteering and deliver a lasting positive impact.

  The following questions were given holding answer:

  S3W-6776